The Return
by C-Spider31
Summary: One-shot. Koran Cousland was living a quiet life with his wife Morrigan and his son Aedan. But when the world of Thedas is thrown into chaos, will he heed the call to save his homeland? Or will he refuse to leave his life of peace?


**Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age.**

**Author's Note: So I was feeling like writing a little bit today, and I decided to do this one-shot. It takes place after Dragon Age II, and it's about my Warden from Origins while he's with Morrigan. The hardest part about this was writing Morrigan well, so I hope I did an okay job. Hope you enjoy!**

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Koran jerked awake, taking in a sharp breath. For a moment, his mind was filled with nothing but scenes from the Battle of Ostagar. Burning buildings, streets littered with corpses of darkspawn and soldiers alike, his head pounding from the amount of darkspawn in the city, and the screech of the arch demon overhead…

A loud noise broke him out of his thoughts. Looking over, he smiled as Morrigan lay beside him, snoring loudly. She always denied that she snored, even when Alistair threatened to shove twigs into her nostrils after a particularly bad night. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and then settled back into his own side of the bed. Closing his eyes, he waited for the sense of darkspawn from his dream to fade away.

It did not.

Reopening his eyes, Koran sat up and probed out, trying to feel where the corruption was. He hadn't used it in years, but he still pinpointed the location with ease. Quietly slipping out from the covers, he walked silently across the room to the door, grabbing his sword as he did so. The Cousland crest on the pommel gleamed in the faint light coming in from the windows.

He crept through the hallway, holding the sword in front of him warily. Even though the house was enshrouded in shadow, he knew the layout by heart. Reaching the room where he sensed the corruption, he shifted the sword to his left hand, took a breath in, and then opened it quickly.

A child lay on a simple bed, his face occasionally scrunching up in discomfort, his dark hair sprawled across his face. A mabari war hound was laying beside the bed, growling in its sleep. It seemed unremarkable, aside from the streaks of silver across its coat and its missing tail. Koran frowned. He could have sworn that he had sensed the darkspawn here. Was he losing his ability to sense the darkspawn? Perhaps-

"Hello, Commander." A low, raspy voice hissed from the corner of the room. It had a rather noticeable lisp.

Every muscle in Koran's body tensed. He could barely keep himself from springing towards the voice and killing its owner. Slowly, he entered the room and closed the door before turning to the voice. "Is that you, Messenger?" He asked, though he already knew it was true.

A hunched, heavily armored figure sat on a chair in the corner of the room, where the shadows were darkest. It bore a thick iron shield on its back and a longsword sheathed on its belt. Heavily lidded eyes, which were the color of blood, stared at Koran with an intelligence not suited to its corrupted skin.

"Yes, it is I. The Messenger." It replied, its rasping voice seemingly amplified in the silence. Koran glared and motioned for it to be silent. It obliged, albeit reluctantly, and watched as Koran checked on his son. Aedan hadn't woken, much to Koran's relief. Looking back at the Messenger, Koran beckoned for it to follow him and walked to the door. It nodded and walked after him, somehow moving silently despite its heavy armor. It paused in the doorway and looked at Aedan for a few moments before continuing after Koran.

Koran pretended not to notice.

He led the Hurlock to the kitchen, where it sat down at one of the tables and looked up at him. Koran was unsettled at the ease of which it found its way around. Keeping a tight grip on his sword, he asked, "How did you get here?"

The Messenger looked at Koran with curiosity. "The Architect has asked me to find you. He requires your assistance in a matter of great importance. So I have searched for you for two long years. I happened upon the Eluvian mirror in the Dragonbone Wastes, and with the Architect's magic, I managed to reopen the portals for a two-way trip. You have not forgotten your pact with the Architect, have you?"

Koran's eyes widened. The portal had somehow been reopened?! Moreso, a darkspawn had achieved it?! Morrigan had said that the portal would transport them to their new home and then would be unable to use again. _But what if she had been wrong? _"But…how did you manage to reopen the portal?"

"The Architect is well-versed in many areas of magic." The Messenger responded. "But reopening the portal was one of his greatest challenges. After months of research, he finally managed to discover that the Eluvian was exhausted of all power. He managed to restore it to a semi-working state, though even that took a great deal of blood sacrifices." At that, the Hurlock grinned, revealing long, rotting fangs. Koran barely noticed. He had become so used to seeing darkspawn that their appearances no longer disturbed him.

_I guess I've come a long way since when I faced my first darkspawn_, he thought to himself. He could still remember the half-sympathetic, half-bemused look Alistair had given him when Koran had thrown up on his boots. _'You could've aimed at the corpse you know.'_ Alistair had stated half-jokingly.

Returning to the present, Koran recalled something the Messenger had said earlier. "You said something about the portal being a two-way trip?"

The Messenger nodded. "One to come here, the other to go back." It stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to get ready.

Koran sighed. "I'm not coming back to Fereldan, Messenger." He leaned against the wall, resting the sword beside him. "I have a life here, in case you haven't noticed. And I'm not going to leave it forever just to help the Architect with an errand of his, Maker knows how many times I have already done that. So don't think for a second you can convince me to come back. Unless…" He hesitated, and then asked, "Unless there's another Blight going on?"

The darkspawn shifted, looking uncomfortable. "There is no Blight, but something is causing just as much devastation as a Blight, and it is spreading across all of Thedas." It rasped.

Koran laughed. "Really? Well, please inform me of this threat. I'd love to hear what else can be just as devastating as a Blight."

The Disciple leaned forward, resting its elbows on its knees and clasping its hands together. The pose seemed so humanlike that Koran wondered how much time it had spent among humans. "There is a war rippling throughout all of Thedas. A war between templars and mages."

There was a long silence between the two. Koran stared at the Messenger in incredulity before chuckling and shaking his head. "And I'm the king of Antiva. Nice try, Messenger, but I won't be fooled that easily."

The Messenger stared at him for a few seconds. Then, slowly and deliberately, he began. "The Templar-Mage War began two years ago, in the city of Kirkwall. Tension between the two groups had been building for the past six years, and it finally culminated when a mage destroyed the Chantry there and killed the Grand Cleric Elthina. Knight-Commander Meredith envoked the Right of Annulment on the Circle. The mages responded by defending themselves. While the Templars did wipe out most of the Circle, several mages managed to escape and spread word to the other Circles, who then rebelled against the Templars and went into hiding. The Templars in response abandoned the Chantry and began hunting the mages using their own methods." The Messenger coughed and hacked up some spit onto the floor.

Koran remained silent. While he still had his reservations about what the darkspawn had said, he couldn't deny the number of specifics was too much to brush aside. And he himself could testify to the tension between the mages and Templars, seeing as he had barely kept Knight-Commander Greagoir from envoking the Right of Annulment during the Blight in Fereldan. But he still had doubts over how this came about so quickly.

Fingering his ring, he suddenly sensed Morrigan's presence just behind the entrance to the kitchen. She had heard everything. Closing his eyes, he focused on the link between the rings, and urged her to stay where she was, and he would take care of it. A wave of annoyance and impatience roared through the link, but eventually, a grudging acknowledgement came back. Koran smiled. The old Morrigan would've walked in and blasted the darkspawn into a charred skeleton. It was nice to see that even she could mellow out with time.

Opening his eyes, Koran found the Messenger looking in the direction of Aedan's room. Clearing his throat, Koran said, "Perhaps there is a war going on. But what does that have to do with the Architect?"

"He fears that the chaos of the war will rouse the darkspawn, and another Blight will soon erupt while he attempts to cure the darkspawn. He is afraid that…that this next Blight will eradicate any hope of the darkspawn living peacefully with the other races."

"Why is that?" Koran asked.

"Because if there is another Blight, there will no longer be any other races." The Messenger stated bluntly.

Koran stared down at his hand, fingering the ring once again. _What do you think? _He asked Morrigan through their link.

_I think you should have told me there would be darkspawn coming over_. Morrigan's voice echoed dryly in his mind. _I would have prepared tea._

Koran barely kept a smile from crossing his face. _I'm guessing it would be poisoned? _He asked.

_Of course_. She replied sardonically. _Do you take me to be a fool? 'Twould be prudent to kill a darkspawn rather than let it live, yes? _She said the last part mockingly.

_Morrigan, we need to decide what we're going to do_. Koran said, trying not to think of the Architect as he spoke.

_And by that, you mean, 'Morrigan, hurry up and agree to let me go, because I have already made up my mind._' Morrigan sighed. _Koran, do you truly believe that this…thing is telling you the truth? Do you believe 'tis worth giving up this life of safety to try and save the world whom you have not interacted with for eleven years? You don't owe them anything; 'tis they that owe you for saving them countless times before._

Koran scratched his chin. _But if what the Messenger says is true, then there's a chance a Blight could erupt while the Templars and Mages are still warring with each other. I know you could care less about it, considering that it would not even affect us. But if I did nothing to try to stop that from happening, I wouldn't be able to live with myself._

Silence was the only response for a few moments. Then, Morrigan said, _After all these years, you still have a sense of obligation to those opportunistic simpletons_. She paused, and then sighed again. _Very well, 'tis obvious you have no intention of changing your mind. But I have one condition._

…_What? _Koran asked hesitantly.

_I am coming with._

"No." He immediately said, unintentionally speaking aloud.

The Messenger looked up, confused. "What?!" It rasped, standing. "But you-"

"Do not be so flattered as to think my husband was talking to you, beast." Morrigan walked into the kitchen, her arms crossed. "'Twas me he was speaking with."

The Messenger snarled and reached for his longsword, but Koran stepped forward, raising his sword. There was a long, tense moment between the two of them, neither of them willing to back down. Finally, the Disciple lifted his hand from the weapon and sat back down. "I did not know there was another in this place," It stated coldly, staring at Morrigan in hostility.

"Then you don't know me as well as you think you do." Koran replied. He lowered the sword and leaned back against the wall. "I was just talking with my wife about whether I should go or not."

"I believe you mean 'we should go,' not 'I'." Morrigan interjected.

Koran glared at her. "That is not an option. You need to stay here and keep Aedan safe. Prepare him for his destiny. We can't leave him behind."

"I think there is a simple solution you are not taking into consideration," She said. "We take him with us."

He gawked at her. "Morrigan, you can't be serious. The entire point of being here is to raise Aedan in safety. This goes against everything you've said before. Why are you doing this?"

"I have been preparing him very well, and we _have _raised him in safety." She sighed and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes. "Do you remember when I said that change is coming to the world? Our child's destiny is involved in that change. And whatever my misgivings for going out to stop a war between bigots and mages, this war may send the world over the precipice of change."

Koran shook his head. "All I'm trying to do is stop another Blight from happening. I have no intention of dragging our child into this war. He needs to be kept safe-"

"If what this beast says is true, then our son's destiny is soon at hand. Do you not see-"

"He is not coming!" Koran burst out. "And neither are you!"

"Why not?!" Morrigan finally yelled back, her temper flaring.

Koran opened his mouth to protest, but then froze. He remembered the Battle of Denerim, when he had left her at the gates, and they thought that it would be the last time they ever saw each other. And instead of saying their final goodbyes, they had argued and parted with harsh words and angry hearts. When she had disappeared after the battle, it was like his heart had been cleaved into tiny splinters. He couldn't believe that he had parted with the love of his life with such anger between the two of them.

How could he do that again?

"All right." He murmured quietly. "We all go."

Morrigan blinked. Clearly she had not been expecting this. "Well," She said, her voice returning to its normal sarcasm-laced tone. "That was certainly much easier than I expected."

"Only because I know how pointless it is to argue with you." Koran smiled. "Go wake Aedan up. I'll get my gear ready." He waited until Morrigan left the kitchen, and then turned to the Messenger. "Wait outside. We'll be out in a few minutes." Without bothering to wait for a reply, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, heading to the basement. Lighting a lamp, he walked down the stairs and entered the basement.

A small armory stood before him, swords and bows mounted on stands. A large glass case held the silver Juggernaut armor, obtained from the Brecilian Forest. Koran walked up to it and stood in front of it, examining his reflection in the glass. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, which still looked remarkably similar to Alistair's hair despite the years passed. His skin was still pale, and the tattoo over his right eye had faded. His physique was muscular, even though he was a Rogue. Koran chuckled as he remembered Alistair's incredulity at the idea of a Rogue wearing heavy armor. 'It sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?' Alistair had asked. Returning to the present, he opened the case and began putting the armor on.

Within ten minutes, everyone was ready. Koran adjusted his armor, holding his helmet in his left hand. His family sword and Dumat's Spine were strapped to his back, the weight feeling welcome despite years of disuse. Morrigan held her staff in her hand, and was dressed in her usual robes. Aedan was rubbing his eyes and yawning, while Annie panted happily, always eager. Walking behind the Messenger, they headed towards the Eluvian mirror.

As they walked, the Messenger kept looking around at the surroundings. Koran couldn't blame it. The surroundings were constantly shifting, like a reflection on rippling water. The only thing that stayed constant was the house they lived in, and the path they walked on to the Eluvian. Even he was not used to the constant shifting, despite having lived here for eleven years. Only Morrigan and Aedan seemed at ease here, which always unnerved him. He could understand Morrigan being at ease with this sort of thing, but Aedan was only a child. He wasn't even disturbed by the Messenger when he first saw it. I need to talk to Morrigan about this.

They reached the Eluvian, and the Messenger stepped through first, disappearing into the ripples of the mirror. "After you." Morrigan said mockingly, curtsying. Rolling his eyes, Koran stepped through the mirror, and closed his eyes as he felt the sensation of stepping through a icy cold waterfall. For a moment, he couldn't breathe.

Then his feet hit solid earth, and a rotting smell filled his nostrils. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the Nest. A huge mound of bodies was piled in front of him, a large pool of blood seeping from the bodies into the grass. A darkspawn wearing elaborate robes and a mask stood in front of the pile, its hands clasped together. The Messenger was already kneeling in front of it, its head bowed in respect. His stomach churning, Koran walked forward. "Architect," Koran said, stopping in front of the darkspawn.

"Warden-Commander." The Architect said. Its quiet, breathy voice seemed to echo in the silence. "I have been searching for you. I am glad to see you are unharmed."

Koran heard the Eluvian activate, and turned to see Morrigan and Aedan walking through, with Annie at their side. "Well," Morrigan said dryly, raising an eyebrow at the mound of bodies. "What a heartwarming welcome present. And brought by a darkspawn, no less! How courteous."

"Morrigan, this is the Architect. He's…an old acquaintance." Koran said, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Architect, this is Morrigan. She is my wife."

"A pleasure to meet one so close to the Warden-Commander." The Architect said, bowing low to Morrigan. It straightened, and then tilted its head, looking at Aedan. "And what is this?" Aedan looked up at the Architect, a curious look on his face.

"My son, Aedan." Koran responded. "He's eleven." After a long pause, he continued, "I'm assuming you brought me back for a good reason, and not to simply chat about how life has been."

The Architect did not reply immediately, and instead stared at Aedan for an uncomfortably long time. Koran glanced at Morrigan, who scowled and gripped her staff tightly. If the darkspawn could sense the spirit of the Old God in Aedan… Koran didn't want to know what could happen.

Finally, it said, "Yes, yes. Follow me. I know a place where we can talk safely. I will explain everything there." He turned and began leading the way out of the Nest, the Messenger at its side.

Koran turned to Morrigan. "Morrigan," He said in a hushed tone. "If the darkspawn can sense the Old God in Aedan, then-"

"He's in danger. I realize that." She snapped quietly, keeping an eye on the darkspawn. Evidently they had not realized that the humans weren't following them. "But what would you have me do?"

He stared at her, hard. "No." She stated, shaking her head. "I will not leave you. Not with those…abominations." She spat the last word.

"I've killed an arch demon. I think I can handle talking darkspawn." He said. "And we are talking about Aedan's safety here, not mine. It's better for him that you take him somewhere far from the darkspawn than try to keep him here with me."

"But why wouldn't you be able to protect him?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have killed an arch demon, 'tis true. And you have me at your side. What force could possibly stop us?"

Koran hesitated. Even now, she did not know the struggle that had been waging on in his mind for the past few years. His Calling had begun two years ago, with nightmares of darkspawn and the Old Gods slowly taking over his dreams. Then, over the past year, he began hearing music in the back of his head, which, to his horror, seemed to be originating from Aedan. Evidently, the spirit of the Old God in Aedan was still calling out to anything with the taint. It started to infect his mind, and sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night with his hand poised over Aedan's throat. He was terrified of it, because he knew one day he would lose control completely.

"I had help with the arch demon," Koran replied. "And even the two of us aren't infallible. Plus you've seen the way the Architect was looking at him. What if he turned on us to get to Aedan?"

Morrigan was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said, "Very well. Just…make sure when you are finished with the darkspawn, you do not tarry." She paused, and then said in a pained voice, "I do not want to lose you."

He grabbed the side of her head and brought their foreheads together. "You won't. I promise." He knew even as he said the words that it was a hollow promise. His head throbbed from the music flowing through his mind. Still, Morrigan seemed reassured, and gave him a light kiss before she pulled away. Muttering a quick incantation, she transformed into a wolf in a flash of light.

Aedan looked up at Koran. "Dad, where are you going?" He asked.

Koran knelt down in front of his son. "I need to go do something, Aedan. But I promise that as soon as I'm finished with this, I'll be back."

"Are you going with the monsters?" Aedan asked calmly.

Koran hesitated, and glanced at Morrigan. She snorted, and walked behind Aedan and nudged him with her snout. He immediately got onto her back and sat there, looking innocently up at Koran. "Yes." Koran said slowly. "And I'm going to make sure that they don't ever hurt you."

Aedan gave a small nod, not perturbed in the slightest.

"Okay," Koran said. "I'll see you when this is all done." Giving a small nod to Morrigan, Koran stood and moved out of the way. Morrigan bounded away, Aedan holding on tightly to her fur, and they vanished from sight. Koran looked down to his right, where Annie stood beside him. "You're sticking with me?" He asked.

Annie gave an affirmative bark.

"Shouldn't you go with them?" Koran knelt down and looked at his companion eye-to-eye. "You could help protect them. Why stick with me?"

Annie whined and rested her head on his leg. Koran could tell what she meant: she knew he wasn't going to be around much longer, and she wanted to be with him as long as she could.

"Okay." Koran said softly. He smiled, and scratched her ears. "It'll be you and me, just like old times, right?"

Annie barked happily and licked his face in excitement. Koran laughed and stood back up, patting her on the head. He looked towards the disappearing darkspawn, and his demeanor darkened.

"Time to save the world again," He murmured dryly to himself, and he set off after the darkspawn.


End file.
